About Me

Hi, Welcome to my Blog.
I'm an avid crafter; Scrapbooking, Cards, ATCs, Tags, Altered Books, Art Journaling, Décopatch, Knitting, Crochet, and Embroidery amongst other things. I live in Surrey, UK with my husband and son. For exercise I play badminton and I have been Geocaching since 2009 and now and again Pokémon Go. Recently I got back to Ballroom and Latin Dancing too. I run a UK based on-line papercraft group.

Wednesday, 7 December 2016

I thought the top thing on my Bucket List wouldn't be possible, as it's something you just cannot buy.

My friend said I could be her birthing partner (aswell as her husband) but we still didn't think it would happen as I live a bit away from her and lots of other factors....

Well last Thursday the phone call came. She hadn't left for the hospital yet but I jumped into action, ate hurriedly took some paracetamol for a headache and cut my thumb quite badly on the silver packaging!!! Taped that up and flew out the door.

It was dark and rush hour and I wasn't that sure where the hospital was!!! There were roadworks and long queues, but I made it.

They were still in the triage cubical but the contractions were coming thick and fast. I did back massage and made them both laugh which eased the tension.

It was the most serene time ever amidst all the pain and gas & air (fairy juice!). She did it - a baby boy on 1st December and I got to cut the cord as well. Well that's my Christmas present all sorted.

As for my desk - well Christmas crafting has gone out of the window. I bought some basic cards with the intention of adding some sparkle. What a time for your gold Stickles to run out.
Well actually not run out but refuse to come out of the pot as they were just left around the sides.

First I took the nozzle off and got as much out of there as possible and used an embossing tool to sparkle my stars, but I still couldn't reach the sides!

Second I cut the bottom off to get the rest out. I sparkled 30 cards and still have a good deal left which I put in a little container (hope it keeps OK in there).

So there we have it
Gold Dust of an experience I am still on a high from and
Gold Dust in the form of Stickles.

Wednesday, 30 November 2016

OK so my desk still hasn't seen any action since last week and trying not to bore too much I have substituted Workdesk with Wheel Trims!

I have steel wheels on my car, which I bought nearly new 9 yrs ago. The wheel trims were stolen a few years back so we replaced with some generic Halfords ones. These have become a tad tatty over the years plus my son had a run in with the curb when he was learning to drive so we decided to replace them after he passed his test.

So here are my wheel trims:-

Steel with slight dent, and Original Trims, all four were stolen overnight from right outside our house! Original trims cost in the region of £30 for ONE!

First replacement (apparently a pain to clean?) and new replacements,
Richmond - £20 for a 4 pack!
Funny how the replacements try to look like alloy wheels but the original ones didn't.

I learnt my lesson with trim thieves and have my trims secured with cable ties.

Wednesday, 9 November 2016

Having super cleaned and tidied one side of my room for the ceiling repairs the other week I though my actual "Craft Corner" needed some sorting too. Fortunately I found a "before" photo from back in June to show the difference.

OK so truth be told I did manage to visit my old (now closed down) craft shop's sale in a church hall. They have them now and again but this was the first I could make and at 10p a sheet for 12x12 papers/card I got a job lot. Oh and some brads and a décopatch turtle for good measure.

So perhaps all the new stash pushed me to declutter more? Whatever, it is a bit better now but I have my eye on the top shelf now!!

The new papers did get me started on some more LOs. The Queen on her way to Epsom Derby and our Preschool celebrating the Queen's 90th Birthday. They sent the Queen a birthday card and she sent a reply which was great.

Oh and did you manage to spot my new addition from last week?

I made him up Wednesday evening whilst watching TV. I used lime green thread, of various shades, which was all I had in my stash. Plus I added different buttons for his eyes and one on the heart and I did french knots on the bib too. The ribbon hanger was from a cardigan. I'd just snipped them out although I'd had the cardi for years!!

Wednesday, 2 November 2016

After last week's upheaval with the ceiling work, that side of my room got a jolly good clean and tidy. I did hurt my back/shoulder in the process so ended up having to rest quite a bit of last weekend and I also had an IBS episode but that calmed down after 24hours of being uncomfortable!

I tossed out most of my old craft mags and rearranged my stuff on my bookshelves.

I came across the kit for the little owl I made up a while back which has been on my desk since and laid out the pieces to make up its sibling but that was as far as it went. As it is black, white and grey I was pondering adding an accent colour like we did for our SWAP on UKPC last month. Lime Green is my colour of choice at the moment.

Finally for the Geocachers out there, my latest travel bug, the dolphin TB5H393 has actually moved!

I did ask on a FB page and one lad said he'd go and get it but the very same day someone else got it and moved it on - yippee.

I have also registered one for myself today, the second Celtic Heart, TB68AYA to log where I go as it is the replacement for the first one which got lost a few years ago. Didn't realise you could do that until I joined the Geocaching UK Facebook Group. Learning so much more now.

Wednesday, 12 October 2016

I seem to have the energy of a gnat these days. Do anything energetic (like going up stairs) and my pulse goes whoosh. I feel like I have a mild flu but really I think it is the hormonal battle raging within.

I did sort of manage badminton last night but I had to take the box anyway. Thought it would either make or break me. I didn't play as many games as usual and didn't play two is a row either and after an energetic rally I got mildly dizzy, but I'm still here to tell the tale.

Anyway I forced myself to at least stick down a LO before even attempting a blog post. Also to sit by my SAD light for at least an hour hoping this dark cloud would lift. Probably need to do this EVERY day.

Well I did said LO and then went on the do a second. I sorted my brick wall of the cycling photos by deciding NOT to bother scrapping them at all which was a great decision. After all I have never scrapped any badminton photos of me, why should my DH get all the glory!

So there we have it, 2 pages with a sort of railway theme.

One where we went geocaching down some local footpaths we would never have known were there, which took us over the railway.

The second of seeing the Flying Scotsman Locomotive from the bridge at Preschool after a meeting. Best attended preschool social outing to date they said (it was my first - LOL)

Wednesday, 5 October 2016

I did stick down last week's pending pages and get out the next set of photos. I'm getting a tad sick of bike photos so might have to stop getting all those printed!
It's no good if you don't have any inclination let alone inspiration.

Life's little traumas still haunt me.

Last week I pulled something in my back on Thursday so couldn't work nor run my badminton club. Nor could I drive my car to the garage on Friday to get the oil leak sorted.
My back was a whole lot better by Sunday though.

Therefore today my car was taken away on a lorry to be fixed. It's had a small oil leak for a while which I only noticed a fortnight ago. My local garage (where I had it serviced and MOTed said they couldn't find anything and to keep an eye on it) not amused! And when the battery died the other week I asked the RAC man his advice and he gave me a couple of cards for other RAC approved garages as he said he could clearly see it was still leaking.

Wednesday, 28 September 2016

A whole lot of nothing has come to pass on my desk with regards to crafting.

I did fiddle with my latest photos and seem to be having a pink and purple moment!

I cut off the sleeves of a t-shirt for badminton but now it gaps at the armholes so that will need sorting, or rather be added to the pile of stuff awaiting the sewing machine's emergence from its wardrobe hibernation!

Oh and the sign to remind me to go to my harp lesson needs putting away as I went yesterday! Having a laugh trying to play Handel's Harp Concerto which is grade 8 and I am barely grade 2 level - LOL

Had a pretty horrid week, usual monthly a week early, felt devoid of energy for about 2 weeks before and during that.

Car oil leak wasn't sorted by garage last week then a couple of days later my car battery decided to die. It was still in its RAC warranty so they came and replaced it but that took time and it is still leaking oil so is going to a different garage on Friday. The electric driver's side window had a blip Monday as well but seems to have sorted itself???

Add to that, although I managed to play badminton last night, I got hit on my back by my partner ouch!

Also the top of my water bottle broke and I skinned my finger trying to undo it! More ouch!

So definitely no crafting for me just now as it is even difficult to write as it is my middle finger on my right hand!

Wednesday, 14 September 2016

Please please please tell me why some bloggers on Google+ I can quite happily comment on without having to sign up to Google Plus and some I cannot?

I really would love to have commented on Zsuzsa Karoly-Smith's page last week but unfortunately was unable to, nor could I find an email for her. If you see this Zsuzsa please email me so I can reply directly to you.

I could happily comment on Vicky Fisher and Angela Radford's Google+ blogs, so what makes their set up so different???

As for my desk, not much happening, other than my next set of photos awaiting inspiration and my Godson's birthday card pending.

I did do a scrap page over the weekend. It had been lurking for simply ages as I wasn't sure whether to wait for the photos of the sunflowers flowering or not but went with not.

Wednesday, 7 September 2016

My Bits & Bobs Tin is still there, I did make one another card from it, but that is for a swap so is lurking behind it????

The closest I have got to crafting was using my corner punch and crop-o-dile to make a little laminated card for my Geocaching trackable. This will be the 3rd I have released, the last two have stalled somewhat, well the first has disappeared for over a year now and the second, who knows?

Then there's my WOW box I made for Preschool last term. I found my son's Spot toy packed away in a cupboard this Summer (well he is 17yrs now!) so now I can use it when I read the book to the children. There are a few more books I have prepared to use and my notebook and pencil case all ready too.

Yes I have been ironing again, hence the jug of water. Managed half Monday, perhaps the other half today.

And lastly my little pouch of mini Ink Joy pens. I love these pens and was really looking for a mini pen for my Geocaching (to attach to my phone case) but these just HAD to pop into my basket.